Boiler for vehicle steam-engines



L. S. POWELL. BOILER Fun VEHICLE 5mm ENGINES.

INVENTOR.

fi th ATTORNEX L. S. POWELL.

BOILER FOB VEHICLE STEAM ENGINES.

- APPLICATION FILED nc.2s, 1916. 1,367,093. Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

CI. 61 .Qa

fit

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN S. POW'ELIi, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOILER FOR VEHICLE STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed. December 26, 1916. Serial No. 138283;.

and useful improvements in Boilers for Vehicle Steam-Engines, of whichthefollowing is a specification. V j

My invention relates to improvements in boilers designed for useparticularly 1n con nection with power driven vehicles employ ing steamengines as the means of propulsion thereof. l

The object of my invention is the production of a boiler of thecharacter mentioned which will be of durable and economicalconstruction, and which will be cient in use.

Other objectswill appear hereinafter.

T he invention consists in the combinations The preferred form ofconstruction, as

illustrated in the drawings, comprises a water chamber of elongatedsubstantially oblong form in horizontal section, the same being formedof a lateral wall 1 and top and bottom walls 2 and 3 respectively, saidwalls 2 and 3 having vertically extending peripheral flanges which fitwithin the wall 1, being securely riveted thereto. I Thewater chamber istraversed by a plurality of veig tically extending flues l, the ends ofwhich are rigidly secured in openings provided for the reception thereofin the plates 2 and The lower ends of said rlues communicate withforward and rearward compartments 5 and 6 respectively, which areseparated from each other by a partition 7 so to form independentcompartments, as will be readily understood. Arranged in thebottom ofcompartment 5 is a fuel. burner .8 preferably of a type in whichkerosene may be burned, said burner being of a design to j snugly fitthe bottom of compartment 5, and

the top thereof being longitudinally corrugatedor ribbed and perforated,as clearly seen in Fig. 3. The fuel is applied to burner 8 from a supplypipe 9 communicat ng with one side thereof, an exteriorlv positionedvalve 10 being interposed in said pipe to control the flow of fueltherethrough. Cooperating with the burner is a pilot light burner 11which is arranged, as seen, in hue of the central corrugations orrecesses at the upper side of the former, said burner 11 communicatingwith the fuel supply pipe 9 at a point ahead of the valve 10, so as tobe unaffected by the latter. It is the intention that the pilot lightshall be constantly burning, being adapted to serve as a means ofkindling or lighting the main burner 8 when the valve 10 is opened.

Leading from the rearward end of compertinent 6 is an exhaust passage 13which is controlled by a pivoted damper or other suitable valve member14.

The upper ends of fines 1 all communicate with a compartment 15 which isformed above the plate 2,.an additional cover member 16 being mountedupon the upper edge of lateral wall 1, to form the upper side of saidcompartment. A screw plug 17 is arranged in the cover member 16 throughwhich access may be gained to compartment 15. Communicating with therearward end of the water chamber, adjacent the lower endthereof, is awater inlet or supply pipe 18, which, when the boiler is in use,communicates with any suitable source of supply.

Leading from the rearward end of the water chamber, adjacent the topthereof or considerablyabove the normal water level of said chamber, asclearly indicated in Fig. 2, is a steam outlet pipe 19. Leading from thebottom of the water chamber, adjacent the rearward end thereof, is adrain cock 20. At the front end of the boiler is a flush ing or cleaningpipe 20 which communicates with the water chamber adjacent the lower endthereof. In flushing or cleaning the boiler, the cleaning liquid will beintro duced through the pipe 20, and after flowing through the waterchamber will be discharged or drained through the drain cock 20.

Arranged in the water chamber, substantially medially thereof, is atransversely extending vertically disposed perforated plate 21 rigidlysecured in position by angular holders 22. The plate 21 is so arrangedthat the upper edge thereof is approximately flush with the normal levelof the water in the water chamber, the lower edge of said plate beingspaced considerably above the bottom of said water chamben Said plate isof a width coextensive with that of the water chamber. Arranged directlyabove the plate 21 is a vertical transversely extending imperforateplate 23 rigidly. fastened'in position by means of angular holders 2%.The plate 23 extends the full width of the water chamber, the upper edgethereof being spaced slightly below the top wall 2 of said chamber so asto form an unobstructed longitudinal passage at the top of said chamber,the lower edge of said plate terminating slightly above the normal levelof the water in said chamber.

In operation, the burner 8 having been lighted, the hot gases generatedthereby will pass up through the fines l which communicatewith thecompartment 5. Said gases will-then: enter the compartment 15, whencethe same will travel rearwardly to the fiues a which communicate withthe compartment 6, said gases passing downwardly through said fines andinto said chamber 6 whence the same will be exhausted through thepassage 13. This circulation of the hot gasesgenerated at the burner 8Wlll, or" course, by conduction ellect heating of the water contained inthe water chamber, the

extended circulation which is obtained through, the constructionemployed being such as to secure a maximumutilization of the heat ofsaid gases before the same are exhausted from the boiler. iloreovei',the construction is' such that the'motion of the vehicle in which theboiler is installed, will have the effect of facilitating thecirculation of the gases, as mentioned, inasmuch as the motion of thevehicle will have a tendency to increase the'rearward How of the gasesthrough the chamber 15 and the drawing of gases from the rearwardlyopening passage 13.

The hot gases generated in the compartment 5, of course, are of greatesttemperature close to saidchamber, the temperature of said gasesgradually decreasing as the same continue their flow through the boiler.

This being so, the water directly over the compartment 5, or surroundingthe lower ends of the lines 4, which communicate with said compartment,will be heated to the greatest temperature. This intense heating of thewater at this particular place will result in the creation ol acirculation, inasmuch as the water thus heated will ise to the surface,and in thus rising the cooler water-"from the rearward end of the waterchamber-will flow forwardly to take the 'place of the water which thushas risen.

The heated water will t'henfiow rearwardly over the partition 21 orthrough the perforations therein to the rearward end of the waterchamber. Thus, it will be seen, that the circulation of the cater willbe up wardly from the forward end of the water chamber, thencerearwardly at the surface of the water, thence downwardly at therearward end of said chamber, and thence forwardly along the bottom ofthe same. The plate 21 is of service in establishing this circulation,permitting of uninterrupted liow oi" the water thereunder, but retardingthe liow of the surl a, e 'ater. That part of the water which directlyover the heating element will, or" course, become heated irst, andconsequently will travel in a direction away from the heat, which inthis case would be upwardly. Cooler water will flow in to take itsplace, the cooler water flowing from that portion of the chamber towhich less heat has been applied, tint is from that portion of thechamber which is directly over the CiillllllJL (3. The water which is atthe rearward end of the ciambcr in which the plate 21 is positioned,willof course be cooler at the bottom than at the top, the warmer waterhaving circulated to the top. Consequently when the hot water flowsnpwardly in the forward end oi the water chamber, by allowing i'reepassage at the base or the chamber, the cooler water which is at thebase of the rearward chamber [lows over and occupies the p ace of thewater which has just flowed upwardly from the heat. It is thereforeevident that there is a current in the water chamber in. which. thewater flows forwardly under the plate 21, thence upwardly and rearwardlyover the plate 21 or through the perforations therein formed. Noobstacle being placed in thc way of the water at the base oi" the waterchamber, it is evident that the water in the rearward end of the waterchamber will have a tendency to flow in that diretion, thereby passingunder the plate 2]. The purpose of interrupting the water in the waterchamber in this manner is to retard the flow the heated water and assistin bringing the cooler water over the heating element, by all ording anopen passage to which the cooler water has immediate access, as will bereadily understood. In operation. water at the front end oi the waterchamber will be brought to .olcnt boil, rising above the upper edge ofpartition 21, so that in operation the water and spray or bubbles willpass over said partition in the rearward travel of the same.

The member serves the function of a division element, the same beingadapted to divide the steam from the solid liquid or water, the steambeing adapted to pass over said element 23 and the spray or solid liquidunder said element, as will be readily understood. The steam thusdivided from the ion liquid will pass rearwardly along the top of thewater chamber out through the steam outlet pipe 19. This division of thesteam and liquid prevents the entrance of liquid into the steam pipesleading to the engine which is absolutely necessary in order to obtainsuccessful and eflicient operation of the engine. The absolute divisionof the steam and water is one of the main diiiiculties encountered todayin connection with the use of steam engines in automobiles, and with theconstruction set forth, it has been found that this diiliculty isovercome.

The plate 21 also serves the additional function of a means ofpreventing sudden. shifting of the water in the water chamber as wouldotherwise result in the sudden starting or stopping of the automobile inwhich the boiler is employed. This funotion is also served by the fiues4 which are arranged in staggered relation, the resulting constructionbeing such as to effectually prevent any sudden shifting oi the water,and to insure a constant level of the same in the boiler. The flow ofthe steam will, of course, also be materially assisted by the forwardmotion of the vehicle, as will be readily understood.

Moreover, the construction employed is exceedingly durable, and at thesame time is of economical manufacture.

While 1 have illustrated and described the preferred form oi?construction for carrying my invention into eilect, this is capable oivariation. and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secureby Let ters Patent is: v

1. A steam engine boiler comprising a water chamber; means for heatingthe water in said chamber; a steam outlet leading from said chamber,above the normal Water level thereof; means for separating theeffervesced particles of water from the steam, said means comprising atransversely extending impert'orate partition above the normal level ofthe water in said chamber, but aliording an uninterrupted longitudinalpassage adjacent the top of said chamher and positioned intermediate thesaid steam exhaust and the end, adjacent said heating means, of saidchamber; and means for retarding the flow of the heated water in saidchamber, said means comprising a transversely extending and foraminatedpartition positioned in said chamber and afiording an uninterruptedlongitudinal passage adjacent the bottom of said chamber and positionedwith its upper edge at the normal water level of said chamber, saidpartition extending transversely from side to side of said chamber,substantially as described.

2. A steam engine boiler comprising a water chamber; means for heatingthe water in said chamber; a steam outlet leading from said chamber,above the normal water level thereof; means for separating theeflervesced particles of water from the steam, said means comprising atransversely extending imperforate partition above the normal level ofthe water in said chamber, but affording an uninterrupted longitudinalpassage adjacent the top of said chamber and positioned intermediate thesaid steam exhaust and the end, adjacent said heating means, of saidchamber; and means for retarding the flow of the heated water in saidchamber, said means comprising a transversely extending foraminatedpartition positioned in said chamber, but affording an uninterruptedlongitudinal passage adjacent the bottom of said chamber and positionedwith its upper edge at the normal water level of said chamber, theopposite ends of said partition being secured to the opposite lateralwalls of said chamber,-substantially as described.

3. A steam engine boiler comprising a water chamber; means for heatingthe water in said chamber; a steam outlet leading from said chamber,above the normal water level thereof; means for separating theetfervesced particles of water from the steam, said means comprising atransversely extending imperforate partition above the normal level ofthe water in said chamber, but affording an uninterrupted longitudinalpassage adjacent the top of said cham ber and positioned intermediatethe said steam exhaust and the end adjacent said heating means of saidchamber; and means for retarding the flow of theheated water in saidchamber, said means comprising a transversely extending foraminatedpartition positioned in said chamber and affording an uninterruptedlongitudinal passage adjacent the bottom of said chamber and positionedwith its upper edge at the normal water level of said chamber,substantially as described. 1

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LYMAN S. POVELL.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'rrs, HELEN F. Linus.

